Athletes Earn Fame For County

The 1980s close on two professional athletic careers that boosted Brevard County into national prominence.

Cris Collinsworth, of Titusville, and Clint Hurdle, of Merritt Island, both reached the pinnacle of their respective careers in the '80s before retiring.

After an All-American career at Astronaut High and the University of Florida in the 1970s, Collinsworth was named NBC Rookie of the Year as a starting wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals' Super Bowl team of 1981. He was an All-Pro selection from 1981-83 and concluded his career as the Bengals' second all-time reception leader. Collinsworth, 30, decided to retire after being cut after Cincinnati's final exhibition game this season.

''I played in a Super Bowl in my first year, and the last game I ever played in was the Super Bowl,'' Collinsworth said. ''There's something to be said for going out on a high note.''

Hurdle, once a Sports Illustrated coverboy as a rookie for the Kansas City Royals in 1978, had a checkered 10-year career with the Royals, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. He maintained a .267 career average over that span, and also had the opportunity to participate in the World Series twice (1980 Royals, '86 Mets) before retiring after the 1987 season.

''I am a firm believer that we are prepared for the future through the past,'' said Hurdle, 32. ''I've had highs and lows in my career that will help me down the road.''

Both have entered new careers. Collinsworth recently completed his work for a law degree, and Hurdle was recently promoted in the Mets organization from manager of Class A Port St. Lucie to Class AA club in Jackson, Miss.

''It's nice to know there's a way to pay the bills other than third-and-8 and getting your bell rung,'' Collinsworth said.

''I'm obviously looking to manage in the big leagues,'' Hurdle said. ''If my rate of succession is as good as it should be, I'll keep doing it.''

While Collinsworth and Hurdle continue to succeed in other endeavors, other county athletes have inched their way toward the success that those two have achieved. Joining Collinsworth and Hurdle as some of the influential home-grown athletes that brought prominence to Brevard County in the 1980s are: - Wilber Marshall, Mims. Marshall became one of the premier outside linebackers in the mid-1980s as a member of the world champion Chicago Bears. Marshall, who was a first-round pick by the Bears in 1984, was an All-American at Astronaut High in 1979 and at the University of Florida in 1982-83. He is currently starting for the Washington Redskins.

- Bubba McDowell, Merritt Island. McDowell was a third-round selection of the Houston Oilers in the 1989 National Football League Draft. He is currently a starting defensive back for the club, and is among the top rookies in the league. McDowell was an all-state running back at Merritt Island High in 1983 before turning in a stellar career at the University of Miami.

- Will Perdue, Merritt Island. Perdue, a 7-foot center, was the 11th pick overall in the 1988 National Basketball Association draft and is currently a reserve of the Chicago Bulls. He was a standout at Merritt Island High School and later went to Vanderbilt, where he was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year his senior year.

- Mitzi Kremer, Titusville. Kremer, who was an All-American High School swimmer at Titusville High, participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. She did not place in any events, but she achieved something most people can only dream about.

- Joe Kohlbrand, Merritt Island. Kohlbrand, a 6-foot-5 linebacker, is enjoying his fifth year in the NFL as a special teams player for the New Orleans Saints. He was an all-state defensive lineman at Merritt Island in 1980 before starring at the University of Miami. He was an eighth-round pick by the Saints in 1985.

- Elaine Harlow, Cocoa Beach. Harlow, a 5-foot-5 guard, was a high school All-American at Cocoa Beach High in 1985-86 and was instrumental in establishing the Minutemen as a perennial state power. Harlow led the Minutemen to consecutive Class AA state runner-up titles in 1984-85 and '85-86 before leaving for the University of Miami. She is in her final year at Miami and has been a three-year starter for the Hurricanes.

- Derek Brown, Merritt Island. Brown, a 6-foot-7 tight end, was named Parade Magazine High School Player of the Year, All-USA, and was a member of the Gatorade Circle of Champions during his senior year at Merritt Island in 1987. Brown went on to Notre Dame in 1988, where he was a freshman starter for the national champion Fightin' Irish and was a starter again this season.

- Cory Philpot, Palm Bay. Philpot, a 5-10, 180-pound running back, became only the 14th back in Florida high school history at that time to rush for more than 2,000 yards when he gained 2,045 yards for Palm Bay High in 1988. Philpot, who started this season at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College, was the county's player of the year and also a first-team Class AAAA all-state selection.